Album Reviews
Sixteen years after Anybody Out There, Southern California pop-punk veterans Rufio are back in the ring, and it sounds like those sixteen years in between never happened. Rufio in 2026 is still unmistakably Rufio: fast, technical, and stacked with the melodic hooks and catchy choruses that put them on the map. The only real plot twist here is a slightly matured lyrical perspective.
Longtime core members Scott Sellers (vocals/guitar), Clark Domae (guitar/vocals), and Taylor Albaugh (bass/vocals), along with drummer Dylan Roy (Dragged Under, ONI), clearly haven't forgotten how to write a ripping pop-punk tune. Opener “Maps” proves that within the first five seconds.
The main gripe? Even across a tight five-track EP, they rarely step outside the comfort zone of the formula they perfected decades ago, leaving the tracks feeling a bit too same-y.
It’s great having these guys back, but if a full-length album is on the horizon, hopefully they'll take a few more dynamic risks and spice up the variety.
From The Outside track listing:
- Maps
- From The Outside
- Last Goodbye
- The Worst
- Another Letdown
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
